Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

$3 Billion Pledged In New Funding During Virtual Global Covid Summit

$3 Billion Pledged In New Funding During Virtual Global Covid Summit

The United States crossed a grim milestone as the summit began, with the White House announcing that more than one million Americans have now died due to Covid

US President Joe Biden warned nations attending Thursday's virtual global summit on Covid that there was "still so much left to do" to quell the pandemic, as more than $3 billion in new funding was pledged.

The veteran Democrat may however be at pains to spearhead ambitious plans to vaccinate the world and stop the spread of the coronavirus, as Congress has so far refused to authorize billions of dollars in funding.

The United States crossed a grim milestone as the summit began, with the White House announcing that more than one million Americans have now died due to Covid, the pandemic's highest recorded casualties in the world.

In his remarks to the summit, Biden said that while progress had been made on global vaccinations and delivering medical equipment to countries in need, "there's still so much left to do. This pandemic isn't over."

"We all must do more. We must honor those we have lost by doing everything we can to prevent as many deaths as possible," the US leader said.

The White House announced that the summit had "garnered new financial commitments totaling more than $3 billion in new funding... above and beyond pledges made to date in 2022."

More than $2 billion of that total will go towards "immediate" Covid response, while $962 million has been committed to a World Bank fund for pandemic preparedness and global health security.

The United States pledged another $200 million to that fund, raising its contribution to $450 million.

"We want to prevent complacency. The pandemic is not over," a senior US official said of Thursday's meeting, which follows a first global huddle last September.

So far, the worldwide Covid casualties stands at more than six million people.

The virtual gathering was co-chaired by the United States, along with current G7 president Germany, G20 president Indonesia, African Union chair Senegal, and Belize, the current chair of the CARICOM Caribbean grouping.

'Loud call' to Congress


Unlike last September, when Biden challenged partners to surge vaccines worldwide and get 70 percent of every country vaccinated by September of this year, the US government came to Thursday's session hobbled by an inability to secure even its own funding.

Biden has requested another $22.5 billion in emergency Covid money, including $5 billion for the administration's signature international program, which has seen some 500 million vaccine doses shipped to more than 100 countries.

After debate, preliminary agreement was reached in the legislature on spending just $10 billion, with nothing for the foreign vaccines.

"You will hear a loud call" to Congress, the US official said. "We know the virus is not waiting for Congress. So we need urgent, urgent action."

Opponents in Congress have been especially concerned about funding foreign vaccinations, but the senior official argued that when a new virus variant strikes, it is likely to start abroad before hitting the United States.

"Without additional emergency Covid-19 funding, the United States will be unable to purchase additional life-saving treatments for the American people," the official said.

"The United States will be less able to stop the spread of dangerous new variants from around the world and the United States will be unable to keep vaccinating the world against Covid."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×